Bob Forsch, former Cards’ star pitcher, dies at 61

[Spark]

ST. LOUIS – Bob Forsch, the only St. Louis Cardinal to pitch two no-hitters and the third-winningest pitcher in franchise history, died Thursday at his home near Tampa, Fla., less than a week after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 7 of the World Series in St. Louis.

Forsch collapsed at his home in Weeki Wachee, Fla., and died of an aneurysm at age 61 after experiencing discomfort in his upper chest.

He was one of 30 players to have pitched two no-hit games in the major leagues and, with his brother, Ken, a part of the only brother combination to toss no-hitters.

A former 26th-round draft pick who spent 15 seasons with St. Louis from 1974-88, Forsch won 163 games for the Cardinals and had 10 seasons of at least 10 wins and one of 20, in 1977. He played on Cardinals National League champion teams in 1982, 1985 and 1987, and was a member of the 1982 World Series champions

When his manager, Whitey Herzog, and former teammates learned of his death, they preferred to look at the man behind the numbers.

"Bob Forsch had class not only on the field, but off," said Herzog.

Former teammate Rick Horton said Forsch was one of "the quintessential Cardinals."

"How fitting that he would throw the pitch before that last game," Horton said of the opening pitch before St. Louis’ Game 7 win over the Texas Rangers for the franchise’s 11th world title.

"Most people don’t realize how much of a professional Bob was," Horton said. "And how much of a mentor he was to me and a number of other young players. Bob had a wonderful blend of being an absolutely nice human being but also knowing what was right and being stern when he had to be."

Former Cardinals righthander Danny Cox and lefthander Joe Magrane spent last Friday with Forsch in a suite upstairs at Busch Stadium. "He was happy. Everything was good," said Cox. "He was loving what he was doing."

Forsch had just finished a season as the Cincinnati Reds’ pitching coach at rookie-league Billings and had just got the word that he was going to spend all of next season in Arizona, where the Reds train.

"He’s an icon in Cardinals history," said Cox.

One of the most significant pitches Forsch threw in his career came toward the end in 1987. With the Cardinals down 4-0 after four innings to San Francisco in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, Forsch decided he had seen enough of Jeffrey Leonard’s "one-flap down" home run trot, which he had employed three times in the first three games of the series.

Herzog, a day before Game 3, remembered saying to Forsch, "You’re pitching tomorrow, big boy."

Herzog then looked at Forsch, and he got the return look he was seeking

[Spark]

By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Forsch throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 28. Forsch, who threw two no-hitters for the Cardinals and is the third-winningest pitcher in team history, died Thursday at his home near Tampa.
Team spokesman Brian Bartow said Forsch, the third-winningest pitcher in franchise history, died Thursday at his home near Tampa. A cause was not immediately known.
The death came less than a week after Forsch threw out the first pitch at Game 7 of the World Series, a few hours before the Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 to win the championship. Forsch was the stand-in for his longtime manager, Whitey Herzog, who is recovering from a fall that left him in a hospital for more than three weeks.
"I was supposed to throw out the first ball and was still on medicine, so they decided Forschie would do it," Herzog told the AP in a phone interview from his home in suburban St. Louis County. "We've kept in touch throughout the years. To drop dead like that, it's a real shock."
Forsch, a 6-foot-4 right-hander known for clutch performances in crucial games, played on three World Series teams in the 1980s under Herzog, and one of his three career postseason victories came against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Cardinals' 1982 World Series championship.
Forsch won 20 games in 1977 and twice was a 15-game winner, and had a career record of 168-136 with a 3.76 ERA. Forsch was an accomplished hitter, too, with a .213 career average and 12 home runs.
"We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Bob Forsch," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. "Bob was a one of the best pitchers in the history of our organization and a valued member of the Cardinals family."
Forsch, who was a 26th round draft pick of St. Louis in 1968, threw no-hitters in 1978 (Phillies) and 1983 (Expos). His older brother, Ken Forsch, threw a no-hitter for the Astros in 1979, making them the only brothers in major league history to pitch official no-hitters.
The younger Forsch is one of only 30 major league pitchers to throw at least two no-hitters, according to STATS LLC. His were the only two thrown at old Busch Stadium, where he won more games and pitched more innings than any other pitcher. In all, he won 163 games for the Cardinals from 1974 to 1988, trailing only Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines. He finished his career with the Astros in 1989.
Herzog said Forsch was well-liked for his bulldog toughness on the mound, and off the field as well. Herzog also said Forsch was one of the more sensible players on his roster.
"I was fortunate to have Bobby on my team," Herzog said. "He never missed a turn, pitched 200 innings each year. He'd take the ball, and he was a great competitor."
Last year, Forsch was the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds' rookie league affiliate, the Billings Mustangs.
Survivors include Forsch's wife, Janice, and two daughters. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

[10DimeBry]

that sucks. RIP



ps i bet these kinda stories hit home for spark. Him seeing people 61 years old passing away. Shit spark was 61 FIVE decades ago.....im sure he must think he's living on borrowed time each time he reads a story like this